võrdlevas

Võrdlevas is an Estonian grammatical term referring to the comparative degree of adjectives and some adverbs. In grammar, the comparative (võrdlev aste) is used to express that one quality is higher or lower relative to another, typically when two elements are being compared. The expression võrdlevas astmes or võrdlev vorm is commonly encountered in linguistic descriptions and language teaching.

Formation and patterns: The comparative is usually formed from the positive degree by adding a suffix or through mild stem changes, with vowel harmony influencing the choice of ending. Common, regular patterns include endings such as -em, -am, or -sem, depending on the stem. For example, suur becomes suurem, ilus becomes ilusam, punane becomes punasem. Some adjectives form comparatives irregularly, such as hea → parem and halb → halvem. The exact inflection can also depend on the noun’s case and number when the comparative modifies a noun (e.g., suure maja, suurema maja).

Usage: Adjectives in the comparative degree decline like other Estonian adjectives and can modify nouns or appear in predicate position. Comparisons are frequently introduced with kui (than) in sentences such as "See on suurem kui see" (This is bigger than that). In contexts like literature or grammar education, phrases like "võrdlevas astmes" explicitly mark that the statement concerns the comparative degree.

Relation to other degrees: The comparative is contrasted with the positive degree (perse toon on the basic form, e.g., suur, ilus) and the superlative degree (e.g., suurim, ilusaim). The Estonian system includes a range of irregulars and regular patterns, all governed by standard vowel harmony and noun-adjective agreement.